Tails Times Two
by Burenda
Summary: Goten and Trunks, the only Saiyans who were not allowed to keep their tails at birth, literally stumble upon a means to reverse this situation. Prequel to Wish For The Past. *Complete*
1. Chapter One

This story is a prequel to the story Wish For The Past. In the beginning of WFTP, I did something arbitrarily that I have since decided I should not have done, at least not without a logical explanation. This is the explanation. 

Disclaimer: If I owned DBZ, I'd be shouting it out to the world! Instead, you all get to hear me whine and complain about how I don't own it. Lucky readers. *grins* 

Warning: Contains a lot of fluff! ^_^ Next chapter will contain some graphic violence, which is the reason for the PG13 rating. 

**Tails Times Two**

The little boy crept silently through the grass, stalking his prey with the easy and grace of a cat. If he'd had a tail, it probably would have been twitching wildly with anticipation, kept low to the ground to avoid alerting his quarry of his presence. It was difficult to keep his breathing calm, even, and most importantly quiet. He had been working hard every day to hone the skills he was using now while waiting for the perfect opportunity to launch his attack, and now that the moment was finally upon him, he found himself flooded with excitement. The target was asleep, oblivious to the stalker's presence, and the boy had the utmost confidence that his many grueling hours of training would be well worth it. He could almost _taste_ victory. The slight breeze that had been blowing through the trees above stilled, almost as though the world itself was holding its breath in eager anticipation, and the boy knew that _now_ was the time to strike. With all the speed and strength at his disposal, he pounced. 

"Gotcha!!" Goten crowed triumphantly, landing on his father's stomach exactly as he'd planned. Before Goku could even have a chance to retaliate, the seven year old demi-Saiyan danced his fingers along his victim's ribs. "Tickle tickle, tousan!!" 

Goku's eyes shot wide open as he burst out in helpless laughter. "Hehehehehehe!! S-stop that, Goten! Hehe, it t-tickles!!" he gasped, rolling from side to side in an attempt to dislodge his youngest son. Unfortunately for him, Goten had spent a lot of time practicing this very attack on his older brother, and he would not be bucked off so easily as that. 

"No way, daddy," the chibi chortled, clinging tenaciously to the older Saiyan's stomach with his legs while his fingers worked their magic. "You're too hard to sneak up on! I'm not gonna let you go after just a few seconds the first time I catch you!! Hehehe!" 

"Hahahahaha!! Y-you're gonna wish you'd hehehehe shown mercy on mehehehe in a second, Goten!" Goku promised laughingly, futilely fending off the little boy's hands as best he could. When had his son's fingers gotten so quick?! They were like lightning, or faster! 

"Nuh uh," Goten teased. "I got you right where I want you, an' you won't escape until I stop tickling you! Which will be never!! Ha ha ha ha ha!!" The laugh that emerged from his young lips would almost have been sinister if it hadn't been couple with the innocent joy in his eyes, proof that the boy had been spending a lot of time at his friend's house over the past several weeks. Ever since the World Tournament where he had fought against Trunks and lost, Goten had been using every excuse he could think of to visit Capsule Corporation so he could spar with his fellow half-breed. Apparently he was either dissatisfied with his strength, or he just enjoyed spending time with the older boy, because not a day went by where he didn't ask his parents if he could go over to Trunks's house, and today was no exception. "I'll only stop tickling if you promise to take me to see Trunks!" 

It only took another few seconds of the terrible tickle torture for Goku to give in and admit his defeat. "All right, all right! Hehehe! You win, Goten! You win!! Just pleahehehehese stop tickling me!!" Goku collapsed in relief the moment the spiky haired boy stopped wriggling his fingers. 

"Yay!!!" Goten immediately cheered, throwing his arms around his father's neck. "Thank you, tousan! You're the best! Can we go now? Pleeeaase? You can use your In-stamp Transition thingy and we could be there in no time!! Come on, daddy, please please please?" 

"It's 'Instant Transmission,' Goten," Goku corrected patiently, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. Without warning, he snatched his son up off his chest and pinned him to the ground, then started tickling him in earnest. "I warned you you'd be sorry if you didn't show me mercy," he reminded the squirming boy with a smirk. "This is what you get for not minding your father!" 

"Tooouuusaaaan!! Hehehee!! No fair!! I won! You're not supposed to hehehehe tickle me after you give up!" 

"Ah, but who said I gave up?" the spiky haired man laughed in response. "I only said that you won, and you did! _That_ time, anyway! Now it's _my_ turn to win! Tickle tickle tickle!" The happy shrieks of laughter were like music to the warrior's ears, and it wasn't long before he gave up tickling his son in favor of simply hugging the child warmly. "Okay, Goten, now we can go to see Trunks. We'll have to let your mother know first, though. You know she doesn't like it when we just disappear without telling her." 

"Okay, daddy!" Goten chirped happily as he hugged his father, waiting for him to teleport them home. 

Heart filled to bursting with love, Goku lifted two fingers to his forehead and concentrated on his wife's ki. In a moment, father and son vanished from the field where they had been playing, leaving the birds and squirrels in the tree to stare in confusion at the empty spot where they had been sitting. Normal creatures didn't just vanish into thin air, did they? After gazing in puzzlement for another few minutes, though, the creatures shook their collective heads and went back to their business. Some things just weren't meant to be understood. 

~*~ 

"No! Absolutely not!!" The voice of Son Chi-Chi literally shook the domed house to its foundation, rattling the windows and the dishes in the cupboard from sheer volume. Inside the building, two spiky haired males cowered before the petite yet dominating female of the house. Chi-Chi swished a rolling pin through the air to emphasize her words, temporarily neglecting the cookie dough she'd been rolling out on the counter. "This will be the third time this week that Goten's gone over there, and while I'm glad he's such good friends with Trunks, I won't have him spending all his time over there _fighting_ when he should be at home studying!! He might not be the genius Gohan is, but I'm not about to let him turn into an uneducated, muscle brained hoodlum, either!!" 

"Awww... but Chi-Chi..." Goku said at exactly the same time Goten protested, "Awww... but mommy..." 

"I SAID NO AND I MEAN NO!!" Chi-Chi cut them both off angrily, bringing the rolling pin crashing down onto the counter with a loud _bang!_ that threatened to break either the counter or the rolling pin. Fortunately, both had been made by skilled hands that understood the necessity for strong and durable materials, so neither so much as cracked. Nonetheless, the sound had the effect that Chi-Chi desired, causing father and son to recoil nervously despite all their strength, and not from fear of bodily harm. Chi-Chi was, after all, the person who ran the house and cooked their food, so getting her angry was just not a smart thing to do. 

However, seeing the disappointed look on his son's face, the mighty warrior decided that some things were worth braving the wrath of his fiery tempered wife. "I _did_ promise I would take him, Chi-Chi," he pointed out reasonably, smiling faintly when he noticed his son perk up hopefully. He gave the young boy a look that communicated without words that he shouldn't say anything. _If I lay my cards right, you might still get to go see your friend today._

"You shouldn't have made a promise like that without talking to me first, Son Goku!" the black haired woman responded balefully. Picking up a cookie cutter, she began to take her anger out on the hapless cookie dough by punching it repeatedly with the circular piece of metal, leaving row after row of perfectly shaped cookies ready to be baked. 

"You're right, Chi," Goku said soothingly. He glanced briefly at the cookies and sent up a silent prayer to Dende that his efforts on his son's behalf would not deprive him of the tasty treats after they were cooked. "But I _did_ promise, and you wouldn't want me to break my word, would you? What kind of an example would that set for him?" 

"I... Goku, you... How would..." the fierce Son female started several times to think of some argument to counter Goku's logic, but could find nothing that wouldn't compromise her principles of honesty. Scowling in annoyance, she grumbled, "Oh, very well. You can take Goten over to Capsule Corp. and visit Trunks-" 

"Hurray!!!" Goten cheered, leaping up and down excitedly. 

"-but _only_ if you promise to have him back by supper!" she shouted over her son's celebrations, picking up the rolling pin and waving it under Goku's nose threateningly. "Or no cookies for _either_ of you!" Her piece said, Chi-Chi turned back to her cookie dough, gathering up the scraps and rolling them into a ball to be rolled out pancake thin for her to cut more cookies from. Waste not, want not, especially in a household with three Saiyans! Smiling to herself, she added, "After all, if you're late for dinner, I can't promise that Gohan won't have eaten them all by the time you get back." 

"Yes, ma'am!" the elder Son nodded in all seriousness, the threat of no cookies a dire one indeed. Reaching down, he picked his son up and set him on his shoulders with a grin. "You don't have to worry about us being late! There's no way either of us would miss out on those cookies!" 

"Thank you, 'kaasan!" Goten chirped happily. "And I promise to try an' keep from ruining my clothes this time, too!" 

Chi-Chi smiled. She knew perfectly well that whenever her son sparred with his friend, his clothes would come home ripped and burned, though usually not beyond repair. This time would be no different, but it was the thought that counted. "You two be good, okay?" 

"Hai!" they both responded at once, waving cheerfully. 

"See you in a few hours!" Goku called out as he lifted two fingers to his forehead. After a moment's concentration, the two flickered out of sight, instantly teleported across the long distance to Capsule Corporation, the home of Briefs family and headquarters of the world's most successful company. 

~*~ 

Trunks was bored. If it was possible to die of boredom, he figured he should have been dead and buried hours ago, but unfortunately he was still alive and still very, very bored. His father was busy training in the gravity room, Goten wasn't around to play with, his grandparents were out shopping for food for their animals, and his mother was working in the lab on some experiment or other. He didn't feel like playing with any of his toys and the computers held no interest for him. So, naturally, he did the thing that all little boys resort to when they can think of nothing better to do. He was going to go pester his mother. 

Using his ki senses to guide him, the lavender haired demi-Saiyan quirked an eyebrow as he realized he was heading straight for the chemical lab. That was odd. His mother didn't usually deal with chemicals, preferring the solid reality of wires and chips and the dependable logic of a computer. _I wonder what she's working on that would require dealing with chemicals..._ the nine year old boy mused silently. Spurred on now by both boredom and curiosity, Trunks Briefs quickened his pace a bit until he was jogging down the corridors of Capsule Corporation. 

As soon as he reached the laboratory where he sensed his mother's familiar, weak ki signature, he poked his head in the door and looked around curiously. Bulma was the only one in the lab, and she was focused intently on the beaker of greenish-brownish liquid she held in one hand while her free hand used an eyedropper to drip a single droplet of some chemical or other into the strange concoction. Trunks waited patiently for her to come to a stopping point, knowing from past experience that interrupting her in the middle of an experiment could have results ranging from an hour long lecture on practicing safety precautions in a laboratory all the way down to actually blowing the place up. The kinds of chemicals Bulma kept in here were quite dangerous, and even a tiny spark of ki or accidental spill could have dire consequences. The first and last time Trunks had disobeyed his mother's directions to be cautious had resulted in the utter destruction of approximately half of the lab, though, fortunately, no one had been hurt. Bulma had _not_ been pleased, and neither was Trunks after she had determined an appropriate punishment for him. Needless to say, the incident was never repeated. 

_Plink._ The sound of the droplet splashing into the chemical mixture was barely audible, but the young Saiyan's acute hearing picked it up quite easily. He watched the beaker closely to see if anything had happened as a result of the addition, but he couldn't see any difference. Maybe he just didn't know what to look for. Regardless, Bulma's face lit up in a triumphant smile as she set the experiment carefully into a holder specifically designed to keep it upright and stable. "Perfect," she murmured happily. 

"What're you working on, mom?" Trunks asked, climbing up into a chair next to the blue haired genius so he could get a better look at the liquid inside the glass tube. It didn't look like anything special, but looks could be deceiving, especially when it concerned one of his mother's projects. 

Bulma smirked down at her son, still elated with the possible implications her discovery would have if her tests proved that it worked as she thought it would. "I've been trying to create an artificial substitute for-" 

"Hey, Bulma!" 

~*~ 

I originally intended this to be a one-shot fic, but after reaching this point I realized that I was only about halfway done with all that I wanted to accomplish. It's a little short, but I decided it would be better if I split it up into two sections to enhance the contrast between the first half and the second. The reason for the title, along with most of the plot (what little there is) will happen in the next chapter. 

Hope you all have enjoyed it so far! 


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: Anyone remember the several-months-old moldy cupcake I mentioned in the Chibi Vegeta disclaimers? Well, guess what, I've still got it! I'm too afraid to even open the tin just to see HOW moldy it is, let alone gather the courage to transport it to a garbage can! Anyway, the fact that I still have this cupcake means that no one has been willing to trade me the rights to DBZ and, therefore, still do not own it. But I'm still willing to trade! *holds up Tin O' Moldy Cupcake (TM) hopefully* 

Warning: Contains PG13 graphic violence (I don't know if "violence" is the word, but it involves blood and gore, so same difference.) 

**Tails Times Two**

"Hey, Bulma!" Goku's cheerful voice interrupted her as he and Goten phased into existence in the middle of the lab. He had used Trunks's ki as the guide for his Instant Transmission, knowing as he did how Vegeta disliked having Goku pop up out of nowhere and interrupting whatever he was doing. He probably could have used Bulma's ki, but the little demi-Saiyan's energy was stronger and easier to track. In this case, it hadn't mattered which one he latched onto, since both mother and son were in the same room together. 

"Oh, hey Goku!" Bulma grinned, turning to wave at her childhood friend delightedly. "Hello, Goten! What brings you two here?" After all the times Goku had teleported into her house over the past few months to bring his son over to play, the blue haired scientist was quite used to his sudden appearances. 

"I promised Goten I'd take him to see Trunks today," Goku explained. "You don't mind, do you?" Smiling good-naturedly, the tall man set his son down on the floor before plunking himself into a chair on the other side of the lab table Bulma was working at. He peered curiously at the substance in the beaker, shrugging after a moment when he couldn't determine what it was, and looked into the face of his life-long friend. 

"Oh, it's no problem, Goku," Bulma replied easily, waving a hand negligently to emphasize her words. "It keeps Trunks out of my hair for a while and lets me get some work done in the labs." A small smirk crossed her lips as she added, "In fact, I think Trunks was just about to start pestering me before you two showed up. Am I right, Trunks?" 

As if he was about to admit that! "No, I wasn't," the chibi denied innocently. As if to prove his words, the nine year old boy got down out of his chair and walked over to stand at Goten's side. "I was just about to leave anyway. Come on, Goten, let's go play!" 

"Okay, Trunks!!" Goten happily agreed. "Bye Ms. Bulma! Bye daddy!" The two hyper active chibis scampered across the room, leaving their parents to catch up on the events that had passed since they'd last talked. Or that was what they intended to do, anyway. They had almost reached the door when something in the room caught Goten's eye and he paused, turning so he could get a good look. "Trunks, what's that?" he asked, pointing at the strange machine. Whatever it was, it was huge, complex, and utterly fascinating to eyes that had only seen eight years of life, beckoning the curious child over to get a better look. 

Moving over to his friend's side to see what the younger boy was talking about, Trunks snorted in dismissal. "Oh, that? That's the testing chamber. Sometimes my mom works with explosive stuff and they don't wanna test it out in the open. See that door over there? That's how you get in. There are some robots and stuff inside to do the actual testing so in case something _does_ happen, nobody gets hurt." 

"Cool!! Let's go inside and check it out!!" To a Saiyan boy, anything that dealt with explosions was something worthy of attention. Without waiting for Trunks's response Goten darted through the laboratory, dodging the various carts and tables filled with chemicals and tools, and came to a stop directly in front of the door to the testing chamber. 

"Goten, you dummy!" Trunks called out after the impulsive eight year old, scrambling to catch up with him. "We're not supposed to go in there! My mom said there's things in there that could harm even a Super Saiyan!!" Of course, he had yet to actually determine the truth of that statement, but that was only because he hadn't managed to find a way _in_ yet. Not that he'd tell Goten that, of course. It wouldn't do to let the other kid know that there were some things Trunks _didn't_ know! He had a reputation to maintain, after all. 

"Really? There's something that can hurt Super Saiyans?!" Awe filled the younger demi-Saiyan's voice. "Wow, I thought only a really strong enemy could do that! What does it look like, Trunks? Is it green an' slimy an' covered in tentacles and stuff? Oh! Or maybe it's big and hairy with lots of sharp teeth! How strong _is_ it, Trunks? I wanna see!!" 

"Uh... well..." _Darn! I don't know what it looks like! How am I supposed to answer all that?!_ "That's for me to know and you to find out," the purple haired Saiyan said with an air of superiority, folding his arms across his chest in a perfect imitation of his father. "Mom told me not to tell anyone unless they've been inside the room, so unless you get in, I can't talk about it!" There, that would excuse him from having to admit that he had no idea what his mother had been talking about, although he might have to put up with Goten begging to be let in on the secret for a while. _I'll just have to distract him somehow. Maybe if I mention that mom bought ice cream..._

"Okay, Trunks!" chirped Goten, walking straight up to the door and grabbing the handle. With one simple tug, the door swung open easily, allowing the younger of the two to step inside the testing chamber and look around curiously. "So where's the thing that can hurt a Super Saiyan? I don't see anything but some robots and bottles and stuff! Is it a robot, Trunks?" 

Trunks gaped incredulously. _I've been trying to get inside that thing for _months_ now! And Goten just walks right up and opens the door without any problem at all?!_ Stamping a foot at the unfairness of it all, he quickly darted into the testing chamber before anyone had a chance to spot him. Just because _he_ hadn't been the one to open the door didn't mean he was going to waste the opportunity to get inside! _Mom's been working on some chemical experiment today, so I guess she came in here to get something, then forgot to lock the door afterwards._

Meanwhile, Goten had pulled one of the jars off a shelf in the room and had opened it. He carefully sniffed the contents, then grimaced and hastily screwed the lid back on. "Eeewww... that smells gross!!" 

"Then you shouldn't have stuck your nose where it doesn't belong," Trunks teased. "Baka, don't you realize it's dangerous to go around smelling things in a chemical lab? Some of this stuff is deadly, you know. At least for humans. I dunno about Saiyans. Anyway, we should be careful 'cause we _are_ half human." 

"But, Trunks! I was just trying to find the creature you said was strong enough to hurt a Super Saiyan! What if it's small and Bulma put it in a jar?" Peering into row after row of jars, vials, and beakers, the black haired chibi continued his search for the mysterious thing that could hurt a Super Saiyan. "What _does_ it look like, anyway?" 

"I didn't _say_ it was an animal or a robot or anything we could fight! All I said was that it was something that could hurt a Super Saiyan. There's a difference, you know! Honestly, Goten, you're so stupid sometimes!" 

"No, I'm not!! How am I supposed to know what you're talking about when you won't tell me?" 

"Quit being such a baby, Goten! I can't tell you anything about it until you find it. That's the rule." Glancing around the room again, Trunks came to the conclusion that there was nothing interesting here. Whatever his mom had been talking about probably wasn't in here, so that must mean.... "Hey, look, Goten. There's another door! Since this just looks like a storage room, I bet that's the actual testing chamber. Maybe what we're looking for is in there!" 

Caught up by the excitement of possibly finding the mysterious... whatever it was... Goten didn't even pause to question why Trunks didn't seem to know exactly where to find it if he supposedly already knew everything about it. The two boys recklessly dashed over to the door, in too much of a hurry to be careful not to bump into any of the shelves and tables, unconsciously falling into their familiar habit of racing to see who got there first. In their haste to reach the door, they went perhaps a little too fast at the end of their race and didn't start skidding to a halt soon enough. With twin yelps of alarm, Goten and Trunks smashed into one of the large shelves lining the wall, breaking the supports and causing the whole thing to crash down on top of their heads. The large glass jars that had sat innocently in rows fell to the floor and shattered, spilling their contents everywhere. Gallon after gallon of the crystal clear chemical splashed across the floor, nearby tables and shelves, and all over the two demi-Saiyans. 

And immediately began destroying whatever it touched, from wood and steel to soft chibi flesh, indiscriminately eating away at everything in the immediate vicinity of the accident. It bubbled on the manufactured steel floor, etching odd designs in the almost indestructible material. It smoked as it broke down the fibers in the wood and clothing it came in contact with. And where it had splashed liberally on the skin of the two young children, it hissed with an angry vengeance and melted the skin right off their backsides. 

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" 

~*~ 

As soon as the two children had run off, Goku turned back to the older woman with a curious lift of his eyebrow. "So, Bulma, what is it you're working on now?" he asked, pointing at the greenish-brownish fluid in the beaker. Eyeing it with no little doubt, he grimaced faintly at the first thought that came to mind. "It looks like you gathered a bunch of snot and put it in that little jar." 

"Ew! Goku, that's disgusting! As if I'd ever stoop to experimenting with mucus! At least, not in _these_ quantities," she amended with a negligent wave of her hand. "It'd take forever to gather enough for a sample as large as that, not without using multiple donors, and that'd just ruin the whole experiment with all those variables!" 

"Uh... Bulma, I was just kidding," Goku protested weakly, giving her an odd, slightly startled look. _Would she really collect people's boogers and do experiments with them??_ "I was only saying what it kinda looked like, that's all. Really." Laughing sheepishly, he rubbed the back of his neck in a familiar gesture. 

"Whatever you say, Goku," she teased. Picking up the beaker containing her experiment, she held it up as though presenting a prize or a trophy. "What is this, you ask? I'll tell you what it is. This, my friend, is only the most useful invention I've come up with yet! With this little batch of goo in my hand, I hold a possibility of something which most doctors can only _dream_ about! Something that only a genius like myself could ever succeed in making into a reality! It's still in the experimental stage, but I think I've finally gotten the formula right. What I have created here, Goku, is none other than an-" 

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" 

Two throat wrenching screams cut through the air of the chemical lab, ripping the adults from conversation, their heads jerking up in the direction of the now open chamber where Bulma stored her most dangerous chemicals. Immediately spotting the anomaly of an open door where there should be a closed and locked one, Bulma's mind was washed clean of explaining her latest experiment, and flooded with other, more horrifying thoughts. "Oh Kami, Goku!! That's the testing chamber!" Bulma panicked, the possibilities swamping her senses. "Damn it, Trunks, that door was locked for a _reason!_ How'd he get in there?!" 

"I don't know, Bulma, but now's not the time to find out!" The spiky haired warrior was out of his seat and racing across the room almost before the words had left his mouth, reflexes trained to respond the instant a threat - be it to himself or to someone else - was detected. Dashing through the open door, Goku quickly spotted the wreckage from the fallen shelves and broken jars of chemicals, tendrils of vapors rising up to poison the air. His heart pounded in his ears as he scanned the debris for signs of either boy, barely able to sense their ki but unable to see them. It was with a sickening lurch of his stomach that he suddenly realized that he _could_ see one of them, that what he had first taken to be a mound of melted pink plastic was actually a _leg_. The skin was riddled with bubble-like sores and flesh sloughed off in thick layers to reveal the bones beneath. Whatever clothing he might had been wearing was gone, completely disintegrated by the potent chemicals that had doused his body. Skipping his eyes over the ruined body of the boy, Goku was already moving to shift the rubble off of him. He didn't know if it was Goten or Trunks, as his head and torso was invisible beneath the pile of wood and steel, but he knew that he had to get him out of there _right now_. 

Ignoring the burning of the acid that touched his skin, the powerful warrior heaved the last bit wreckage to the side and scooped the mutilated child up. Tears threatened to form in his eyes as he took in the damage done to the poor chibi, so much of his hair and face eaten away by the acid that Goku was not even able to identify him by looking at him. Only through his ki senses was he able to determine that this was Trunks, and that he was still alive, though only barely. 

A strangled cry of alarm announced Bulma's arrival in the storage room, and Goku turned to her swiftly so that he could deposit her son in her arms. "Quick, Bulma, you've got to take Trunks to a doctor!" Whirling around, the black haired man practically threw himself at the fallen shelves with a renewed sense of urgency. "Goten's still under here somewhere!" 

"Goku, there isn't a doctor alive who could heal this!" Bulma yelled, fear for her son's life adding volume to her voice. She cradled Trunks to her breast and sobbed, hardly caring that he was oozing all sorts of bodily fluids all over her lab clothes. "There's just too much damage! He wouldn't even _live_ to see the operation room! Don't you have any senzu beans?!" _Where's a miracle cure when you need one?!_

"There aren't any right now! We used up the last of them while fighting Buu, and the next crop won't ripen for another two weeks!" Heaving the last large chunk of debris away, Goku choked back a sob and carefully gathered what was left of his son in his arms. If anything, Goten was in even worse condition than Trunks, and that was saying something! He looked more like a lump of bones and melted wax roughly shaped into the form of a child with liberal amounts of blood and pus poured on top than the happy little boy with sparkling eyes that he had been only a few minutes ago. Rising to his feet, the distraught father quickly stepped out of the pile of acid-soaked debris and headed for the door, wanting to get out of the storage chamber's poisoned atmosphere. 

"Then take them to Dende, for Kami's sake!!" the blue haired woman screeched in near hysterics, hurrying to keep up with him. "Use that Instant Transmission technique of yours and zap us all to the Lookout! After all you've done for the Earth, I _don't_ think asking him to heal two children is asking too much!" 

Goku strode swiftly over to a nearby table that was clear of any laboratory paraphernalia and carefully set Goten's mutilated body on top, then motioned that Bulma do the same with Trunks. "I don't want to move them any more than necessary, and the air on the Lookout is too thin to support them in their condition," he gravely rejected the plan. Before Bulma could protest, though, he added, "I'll transport myself up to the Lookout and bring Dende here instead while you look after them, okay?" 

"Okay, Goku, but _hurry_. They don't have much time." Wiping away the tears in her eyes, Bulma placed her son next to Goten and sat down in a chair. She hated the feeling of helplessness that came from watching over them, not being able to do anything but wait and pray that they would pull through this, but neither was she willing to abandon them in their time of need. 

Without another word, Son Goku raised two fingers to his forehead and vanished. 

~*~ 

I just now noticed that I seem to have a recurring theme in this story of scene endings and Instant Transmission. Four out of the five scenes so far have ended with Goku either teleporting out or popping in. I guess this happens because I have to bring enough closure to the events happening so that Goku can afford to leave (or enter), and since this brings me to a convenient breaking place, I make it serve double duty as a scene change. *shrugs* Oh well. 

I honestly thought this would be the last chapter, but again I was wrong. I've added in more things to the outline for this story that will create enough material that yet another chapter will be needed. However, the third chapter really should be the last one, as there isn't much else to tell in this tale. Unfortunately, this means putting off my other stories a little longer while I finish up Tails Times Two. 

Expect a resolution to this whole mess in the next chapter, and (hopefully) a few splashes of humor. I'm sure any of you who read my stories are familiar with my opinion of my humor writing skills (for those of you who don't know, it's not very high), but I shall try anyway! In the mean time, I wouldn't mind a review or two. ^_^ 


	3. Chapter Three

Well, here it is! The last chapter of Tails Times Two! I didn't think it would take this long to write, but writer's block, college, and a borrowed Playstation *sheepish grin* kept interfering. To make up for it, I made this chapter particularly long, including a rather sizable part that I had originally thought to set aside as an epilogue. 

Thank you all for your support! I really appreciated it! I'm glad you all have enjoyed this story, and I would encourage you to read the sequel (if you aren't already), which I hope you will enjoy just as much, if not more. 

I'd also like to thank all the people who helped get me out of my writer's block on this and the other chapters. I couldn't have done it without you! 

Disclaimer: _Quid pro quo._ "Something for something." In this case, nothing for nothing, since I don't own DBZ and I'm not making a single cent off of it. I think that's clear enough. 

The clever play on Frozenflower's name is used with her permission. I felt that, as the originator of the Dende-pina colada trend, she fit the role perfectly. ^_^ 

**Tails Times Two**

The time that passed seemed like forever, each second ticking away slowly enough to make Bulma think that time itself had stopped, but a glance at the clock proved that it had only been five minutes since Goku had gone to the Lookout. _What's taking him so long?! Just how much time does it take to find Dende and teleport back here?! Where _are_ they!!?_

As if in answer to her question, the orange clad source of her frustration popped back into the room. He was wearing an expression of such utter defeat and dejection that Bulma immediately forgot the sharp words she had prepared to berate Goku with for his tardiness. "What is it, Goku? What's wrong?" she asked, concerned. 

"Dende's not at the Lookout, Bulma." His voice was heavy with frustration, despair, and it seemed it was all the Saiyan could do to keep from pounding his fist against the table where the dying chibis lay. "In fact, he's not even on Earth!" Taking a deep breath in a vain attempt to regain control of his trembling limbs, Goku rubbed his forehead wearily and continued his report. "I couldn't find his ki, so I focused on Piccolo's instead, since the two have been nearly inseparable ever since he started helping Dende learn how to be Kami. When I got there and asked Piccolo where Dende was, Piccolo told me that there had been some sort of Godly Meeting that Dende was required to attend - he left Piccolo to watch over the Earth in his place. There's no way to get a hold of him on short notice, and I couldn't trace his ki to teleport myself to him, either!" A choked sob escaped the mighty warrior's lips as he gazed helplessly at the two young demi-Saiyans, tears streaking down his cheeks in little silver rivers. "What are we going to do, Bulma?" 

At first there was no answer, causing Goku to look up at his friend curiously. Bulma was staring at her son's ruined face, watching his chest rise and fall in ragged, shallow gasps that hardly seemed enough to sustain life. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying, her face haggard and careworn, as though the five minutes had instead been fifteen years, making her look _old_. Even though she was older than Goku by a good four years, she had always seemed young to him, so even the faint wrinkles that could be seen now were a shock to him. _When did Bulma get wrinkles?_ he wondered, blinking like a startled owl. _Wrinkles are for old ladies... Bulma's not _that_ old, is she?_

Eventually, the blue haired woman responded, but it wasn't in a way Goku expected. Instead of speaking, or coming up with a wild plan of action and demanding Goku's help, or even breaking down in tears, all she did was square her shoulders and turn away from the table and the two children. Without a word, she walked back over to the table where she had been working on her experiment earlier, face grim but determined. Picking up the glass beaker of greenish-brownish fluid, she turned back to face her friend. 

"There is... another possibility," she said. There was an almost undetectable quaver in her voice, as though she was trying to speak calmly despite fear and uncertainty. Goku's breath caught in his throat at this statement, a flicker of hope returning to his eyes. Bulma shook her head and continued. "I've been working on recreating the effects of the senzu bean using an artificial substitute - something that could be easily manufactured rather than having to wait for a new crop of beans. I _think_ I have the right solution now, but I haven't finished testing it. It might not work, or it might have side effects that I don't know about. I don't like the thought of using such a highly experimental chemical on my son or Goten, but..." 

"But it doesn't look like we have much choice," Goku finished for her. Closing his eyes, he allowed his shoulders to sag as the weight of the decision before him pressed down on him. Yes, there was hope, but that hope was now tinged with the possibility of dire consequences, perhaps even complete failure. "I understand, Bulma." He opened his eyes and looked right into the cerulean orbs of his long-time friend, then nodded his head. Bulma returned the nod. She understood that he had just given her permission to go through with the plan. 

Taking a deep breath, the middle-aged scientist stepped forward, beaker in hand, and poured a small portion of the substance into the thin slit that was all that remained of her son's mouth. Knowing that time was short for the two boys and that they couldn't afford to wait however long it took for the artificial senzu to start working, Bulma immediately moved over to Goten's side and poured half of the remaining contents of the beaker into his mouth. Both boys coughed weakly, then swallowed instinctively. 

~*~ 

Punch. Punch. Kick. Dodge. Block. Kick. Punch. Even as fast as he was moving, Vegeta maintained the smooth and rhythmic flow of the kata, keeping pace with an opponent that no one could see but him. He envisioned the enemy in his mind, saw every attack the man made, every punch, every kick, every ki blast, and responded accordingly. Sweat slicked the Saiyan warrior's body from head to toe, testament of the intensity of his workout, but Vegeta paid it no mind. Strength and skill were things that could only be obtained by hard work and serious training, and even after they had been earned he must work to maintain them or risking losing them. Kakarot's eldest brat was proof of that. _Idiot brat doesn't even train! It's disgusting! He obtains a new level of Super Saiyan and then lets his power go to waste after using it only _once! 

Anger coursed through his veins, leading the Saiyan Prince to take his training up another notch, aura blazing golden as he broke through the barrier that separated most Saiyans from the legendary transformation of the Super Saiyan. His gravity defying, flame styled hair shifted into a different pattern of spikes, its normal midnight black bleeding away to be replaced by burnished gold to rival the sun. Vegeta savored the incredible power that pulsed and throbbed within his body, suffusing him with so much energy that he almost felt as though he would burst if he did not use it. Allowing the energy to swell even further, the spikes in his hair stiffened further and his body changed to accommodate his ever increasing power until small lightning bolts sparked the air around his body. And yet, it was not enough. 

Eyes that had once been black and were now a pupilless sea green narrowed, a low growl rumbling from his chest. He _knew_ there was a third level to this transformation! He had seen it with his own eyes! Both Kakarot and the fused form of Goten and Trunks had surpassed the form that had been strong enough to beat even Cell, and Vegeta would be damned if he allowed a third class and two halfbreed brats, even if one of them was his own son, to surpass him! He would not be satisfied until he, the Prince of all Saiyans, had attained this level as well, and even then he would continue to strive to become stronger. That was just the way he was. 

After a few moments of rapid punching and kicking, adjusting to the increase in power, he settled into a familiar routine of shadow boxing and throwing ki blasts that he would guide around the room until they were heading straight for him, deflecting or blocking them as they came. It was exhilarating. Nothing could compare to this, unless it was a full fledged battle with an opponent of equal strength, both of them testing their limits and pushing the other to new extremes, never knowing if you were going to feel the thrill of victory or taste the bitterness of defeat. _Hn... I wonder if Kakarot is up for a spar..._

!! 

Vegeta was suddenly brought back to reality by a sharp sense of foreboding, a feeling that something was _wrong_. Pausing in mid-punch, the Saiyan prince lifted his head and slowly scanned the gravity room, looking for any sign of whatever it was that had alerted his instincts. When nothing out of the ordinary caught his attention, Vegeta closed his eyes and began searching for energy signatures. There were four kis in the immediate vicinity, all in close proximity to each other. One was immediately identifiable as Kakarot, the second was his mate and wife, Bulma. The other two were even weaker than the woman - probably lab technicians or something. _Weakling humans,_ Vegeta snorted to himself, moving on. They weren't strong enough to be a threat even to his mate and so were not of immediate concern. 

As best as he could tell, the source of this troubling feeling was not in Capsule Corporation, so Vegeta broadened his search until it included the entire planet. Determining that there were no powerful energies on the planet other than those he already knew, he withdrew his senses and began a search of a different type. If whatever it was that was bothering him was not an enemy, it had to be a threat of a different kind, a threat to someone he knew. His ki senses quested outward again, touching first Bulma, then Kakarot, the onna's parents, Kakarot's eldest brat.... One by one, Vegeta accounted for each and every person he knew, whether or not he liked them, until he realized what it was that had raised his internal alarms. 

There were two people missing. 

Spurred on by a growing sense of urgency, Vegeta searched again for the ki signatures of his son and the second brat of Kakarot, Goten. It was possible that they had gotten into trouble and were suppressing their ki to avoid being caught, but the Saiyan father highly doubted that. Their absence at precisely the same time as his sense of foreboding could not be coincidence, not when there was nothing else to explain the feeling of dread in Vegeta's heart. 

There was Bulma's energy, still in the same place she had been the last time, but Kakarot was no longer with her. Searching for the other Saiyan's ki, Vegeta was only vaguely surprised to note that Goku was now somewhere in the vicinity of the Lookout. _Curse him and that Instant Transmission of his. Popping in and out of my home like a damned rodent_, Vegeta grumbled irritably before returning his focus to Capsule Corporation. This time he didn't discount the low kis out of hand, since any one of them might be Goten or Trunks trying not to be noticed... or so drained of energy that their ki was comparable to that of a human. So when he once again came to the two people in his mate's presence, Vegeta took the time to look beyond their level of strength - weak even by human standards - and concentrated instead on the familiarity of their ki. _It's them,_ he silently confirmed. Then, with a sinking feeling in his stomach, Vegeta realized that the feeble energy signatures... 

...were getting weaker. 

Eyes snapping open, the warrior prince practically flew from the gravity room. He raced into the main building of Capsule Corporation and wove his way through the maze of halls and corridors, heading in as straight a line as possible toward the fading lives buried somewhere in the complex. Somewhere along the way he noticed that Kakarot had returned from his trip to the Lookout and was once again in close proximity to Bulma, Goten, and Trunks. It figured that he would already be aware of the situation and was probably working to solve the problem, but that didn't slow Vegeta one bit. The Prince of all Saiyans wasn't about to leave his son's fate in the hands of that third class idiot, no matter how powerful the man might be! 

As he was drawing near to his destination it registered in his mind that he had entered the section of Capsule Corp. where most of the labs were. Another moment passed and Vegeta found himself in front of the door to the chemical lab. _Chemical lab? Why would_- he cut himself off in mid thought. _That is not important. I can ask questions _after_ I find out what is wrong with my son and fix it._ Without another thought, he flung the door open and strode into the room. 

His eyes darted around the room, coming to rest on the figures of Bulma and Kakarot. The two were standing next to a table where two unrecognizable and misshapen lumps lay. _No, not lumps._ Vegeta's eyes narrowed, focusing on the two forms on the able. One of the lumps coughed weakly, and that's when he knew. He knew what they were and he now knew what he had been sensing. _The children!_ Feeling as though someone had just punched him in the gut, Vegeta rushed up to join the other two adults. "Kakarot! What the _hell_ hap-?!" he barked, breaking off when he realized that something strange was happening. 

When he has first laid eyes on the children, they had resembled wax figures that had been placed too close to a fire, skin dripping away from bones without any sign of hair or clothing. Vegeta was therefore completely taken aback when he noticed that the flesh of both chibis was almost magically regrowing to cover once-bare bones. Exposed organs sank back in place beneath smooth, pink skin, and as he watched with disbelieving eyes the children were soon completely healed. There wasn't a single trace of evidence that any harm had ever befallen either demi-Saiyan, not counting the little puddles of organic ooze still sticking to the table around them... and their smooth, shiny, and very _bald_ heads. 

Vegeta blinked. Calmly, oh so calmly, he lifted an eyebrow and asked, "Would somebody mind telling me just WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!" Well, it started off calmly anyway. Glowering belligerently at his rival and his mate, the Saiyan prince scooped up his son, having grown somewhat protective of him in the aftermath of the fight with Majin Buu. "That was _not_ the work of a senzu bean!" Indeed, a senzu bean works its magic in mere seconds, over almost before it begins. This... whatever this was, it's healing effects were drawn out over the course of ten, maybe fifteen seconds! 

"It worked!" Bulma giggled, giddy as a school girl. "Oh Kami, I was afraid for a moment there when it didn't immediately take effect! But it worked!" Laughing happily, the greatly relieved woman did a little jig of victory right there in the middle of the lab. 

"_What_ worked?" Vegeta growled impatiently. "Onna, stop prancing around and answer my questions!" 

"It was her senzu sludge, Vegeta!" Grinning from ear to ear, Goku picked his own son up, who was already opening his eyes and looking rather startled. "The boys got into an accident in the lab and Bulma used one of her experiments to heal them." 

The Prince of all Saiyans scowled suspiciously. "'Senzu sludge'?" he asked. "Woman, I thought I expressly forbid you from using our son as one of your guinea pigs!" 

The accusation was enough to pull the blue haired scientist out of the impromptu celebration and ignite a heated glare in her eyes. "You know _damn_ well I wouldn't willingly use any my experiments on our son unless I knew it was safe or unless it was an emergency! Well, listen here, Mr. High and Mighty! It _was_ an emergency! If I hadn't given Goten and Trunks that synthetic serum they would have _died!_ We _tried_ to find another way, but there were no senzu beans, Dende wasn't at the Lookout, and we were running out of time! I did what I thought was best, and I sure as hell wasn't _experimenting_ on either of them, so back off!" Huffing indignantly, Bulma folded her arms across her chest, practically daring her husband to pursue the argument. 

Vegeta glared back at her, more than willing to launch off into another one of their famous verbal spars, but the sound of his son's confused voice caused him to change his plans. "Tousan? What's going on?" Trunks asked, blinking his bright cerulean eyes up at his father questioningly. Without his hair, he looked almost like an oversized infant, an effect that was strengthened by his position cradled in Vegeta's arms. Realizing exactly where he was, Trunks's eyes widened in shock. The last time his father had held him had been right before he'd sacrificed himself in the fight against Majin Buu, and that _certainly_ hadn't been the way he was holding him _now!_ "Is... is everything all right?" _He's not going to die again, is he?! I mean, why else would he be... hugging me?_

Softening the expression on his face somewhat, Vegeta snorted ironically. "Unless you count the loss of your hair as something to be mourned, it appears that nothing is wrong." Slightly embarrassed, he quickly set his son back on the table. 

Trunks's eyes widened almost comically. "My hair?!" he yelped, immediately clapping his hands to his bare head. A look of outright horror pasted itself onto his face when his fingers found nothing but smooth, bare skin. "Aaaaahhhhh!!!!!" 

"Hahaha, you're bald, Trunks!" Goten laughed, pointing at his hapless friend. Barely even noticing his miraculous health, the younger chibi squirmed out of his father's arms and jumped up onto the table with his friend. "You look like a big baby!" 

"Oh yeah?" Trunks snapped back, not enjoying being laughed at. "In case you hadn't noticed, Goten, you're bald too! Haha, I bet you look even more like a baby than I do, 'cause I'm older!" Folding his arms across his chest, he flashed his friend a victorious smirk, lashing his tail behind him in a superior manner. Wait a minute.... _tail?!_

"Hey, what's that thingy?" Goten peered curiously at the furry brown worm-like thing that was wriggling behind his friend's back, distracted from Trunks's comment about his lack of hair before he could even reply. An inquisitive, curious boy, Goten was drawn to all things furry, scaly, feathery, or in any way related to animals, so he couldn't help but reach out and grab what he perceived to be a cute, fuzzy worm. 

"EEYOW!!!" Eyes bugging out in surprise and pain, the unfortunate chibi jumped about a foot into the air before being jerked back down by Goten's grip on his tail. "Ow ow ow ow ow!! Goten, don't do that!!" He didn't know _what_ his friend had just done, but whatever it was, it _hurt!_ Tears prickled his eyes despite his best resolve not to cry. Blinking them away, Trunks reached back and snatched away the thing that Goten had grabbed. "Huh? What's this?" 

As soon as he laid eyes on what his son held in his hands, Vegeta's expression quickly turned to one of shocked recognition. "A tail?!" Rounding on his equally surprised mate, the Saiyan prince demanded, "Woman! How and when did this happen?! More importantly, why didn't you tell me?!!" 

"Goten has one, too," Goku remarked, reaching out to finger the boy's tail. A look of nostalgia crossed his face, a faint smile of pleasant memories. "I remember when I had a tail. I know why Kami didn't want me to have it now, but I still kind of miss it." One eyebrow lifted in a silent question, which he directed at his friend. "How _did_ they get their tails back? Was it that senzu sludge you gave them? They didn't have tails before..." 

"It's not 'senzu sludge', Goku," the blue haired woman responded irritably. "If you're going to call it anything, call it a senzu serum, or something like that." She frowned. "That's the only explanation I can come up with, too, but I can't see why it would have had an effect on their tails. We had them surgically removed when they were born, remember? Senzu beans never had any effect on severed tails before, not yours, not Vegeta's, and not Gohan's, and since I based my formula off the physical and chemical properties of a senzu bean, it shouldn't be any different!" 

"Was there any damage done directly to the base of the spine?" Vegeta asked abruptly. When the two other adults looked at him questioningly, he elaborated. "Neither of you has told me exactly what happened. Did the boys sustain injuries to the area where the tail emerges from?" 

Scratching the back of his head thoughtfully, the taller Saiyan replied, "Well, yeah. They'd pretty much been doused in acid, so there probably was some pretty bad damage there. Why do you ask, Vegeta?" 

"Because that would explain why their tails grew back." Vegeta nodded to himself, pleased with having solved the mystery of the regrown tails. "As you already know, Saiyans in general heal at a rate far greater than normal humans. Saiyan children, however, have a concentration of regenerative tissue located at the base of the spine, which enables children - who have a greater likelihood of losing their tails since they are weaker than adults an haven't learned to guard them yet - to grow their tails back if they are cut off. The regenerative tissue immediately starts a buildup of growth cells that, when there are enough of them, will suddenly burst through the skin into the form of a new tail. However, as the child grows older, this tissue eventually fades, and the loss of a tail will be a permanent thing." 

"Hey, that's right! I remember once when Goku grew his tail back during the World Martial Arts Tournament!" Bulma laughed, remembering her reaction to seeing her young friend's tail grow back while fighting with the purple dinosaur, Giran. She'd half expected him to turn into a giant monkey then and there... which actually hadn't been too far from the truth. 

"So why didn't our tails ever grow back before?" Trunks asked curiously. Holding his new tail in his hands, he had been looking it over in fascination, keeping himself out of the conversation until it turned to the subject of tails. "I mean, me an' Goten are still kids, so shouldn't we still have that tissue stuff?" 

"Yeah!" Goten piped up, dropping his tail into his lap. "Do tails take a really long time to grow back or something? 'Cause I'm seven years old an' _my_ tail never grew back before!" 

"That's because your tails were surgically removed, brats. The process left scarring directly on the regenerative tissue, inhibiting it from producing enough growth cells for you to grow your tails back." Grumbling to himself, Vegeta shot Bulma a look of annoyance. He had fought the decision to remove their son's tail quite fiercely, but in the end his mate had won. She wanted her children to grow up as close to "normal" as they possibly could, and on Earth that meant no tails. Eight years later, it was more than obvious that Trunks would never be normal, with or without a tail. _This time I will _not_ let her cut his tail off!_ he silently vowed. _Her excuse for "normalcy" is no longer valid, and I will not allow her to remove my son's Saiyan heritage a second time!_

"Is that why Gohan's tail never grew back after you pulled it off, Vegeta?" Goku asked. "Scar tissue?" 

"Probably," grunted Vegeta. "If you had given him a senzu bean afterwards, I suspect his tail would have regrown. But you had already used them up before we even fought, if I remember correctly." An amused smirk flickered briefly on his lips. "Actually, because I only pulled the tail off, it _should_ have grown back on its own. Any scarring that occurred was probably caused by whatever ignorant human doctor you took him to." 

"So there's no chance of either of us or Gohan growing our tails back?" Goku pressed, sounding mildly disappointed. He _did_ miss his tail, and since Piccolo had blown up the moon back when he was training Gohan to fight the Saiyans, there wasn't any danger of him turning into a rampaging oozaru. 

"No," came Vegeta's curt response. Even after all these years, it still rankled him that he, the Prince of all Saiyans, was without a tail and had no hope of ever growing it back. The fat human who had cut it off probably knew this, since he avoided Vegeta like the plague. Smart man. 

Goku sighed. "Oh well." He was disappointed, but he could live with it. After all, he had lived without a tail for the better part of his life now. Besides, there was no point dwelling on something you couldn't change. Turning his eyes on the two naked boys, the defender of Earth frowned. "You two need to get dressed, and then I think we need to have a talk about sneaking into places you don't belong." 

Exchanging looks of dismay, Goten and Trunks groaned. They should have known better than to stick around after getting themselves into trouble! 

~*~ 

Meanwhile, on a remote planet designated as the official location of all Godly Meetings, the great cosmic dice were rolling. Literally. "All right! Snake eyes!" Dende chortled, collecting his winnings from his grumbling fellow gods. 

"Damn it," a blue skinned kami from the Southern Quadrant cursed. "Some gods have all the luck." 

"He can't win _all_ the time!" protested a goddess who reminded Dende of an Earth flower he had once seen. A gleam lit her eyes that could almost be described as evil, and she grabbed a glass from the tray of a passing waiter. "Dende, my friend, have you ever tried one of these? I hear they're made locally on your planet." 

"What is it?" Dende asked curiously, carefully sniffing the pale liquid in the glass. It was true that he had only been Kami of the Earth for a few years, and the remote location of the Lookout didn't exactly make it easy to try out the things the world had to offer. Drinking water day after day could get pretty dull, especially considering Dende's all-liquid diet. _I could do with a little variety..._

"I believe it is called 'pina colada'," the other kami replied, smirking slyly. _Come on, you little green bug. Just drink it! You can't possibly keep up your winning streak if you're dead drunk!_ She wasn't really a _bad_ goddess... she just didn't like losing! "Try it, Dende. I think you'll like it." 

"All right, Frozen, if you insist." Shrugging his shoulders lightly, the naive Namek took a careful sip. "Hey, this is pretty good! I'll have to tell Mr. Popo about this. Maybe I can convince him to get some for the Lookout's pantry! Pina colada, did you say?" 

The flower-like goddess known as Frozen smiled. "That's right. I'm glad you like it, Dende." 

Dende smiled back and took a second, more generous gulp from his cup. "Isn't it great that the gods get to have a holiday every once in a thousand years? I've only been Kami of Earth for a few years, but it feels even longer, what with all the work I have to do to keep that planet in one piece!" 

"Surely it isn't much different from any other planet," the nameless blue god commented skeptically. 

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Dende replied, shaking his head. "I have two Saiyans, three demi-Saiyans, and a fourth one on the way! And all of them, not counting the unborn baby, can become Super Saiyans!" 

Gasps of shock arose from the gathering of gods. "Super Saiyans?! Oh, you poor dear! No wonder you looked so worn out when you got here!" Many of them knew the legend of the insanely powerful Saiyan warriors, so they all had a pretty good idea how taxing it would be to have five of them on your planet. 

"It's a wonder you're still alive!" 

"I'd heard that the Saiyans died off back when that lizard guy - Freezer, was it? - was terrorizing the universe." 

"No, a few of them lived. Hey, Dende, I thought you said all the evil aliens on your planet had been killed off! If that's true, how do you explain the Saiyans?" 

"Believe it or not, these Saiyans are all good people. They live peaceful lives on my planet... well, as peaceful as Saiyans ever get." Dende grimaced. Even a peaceful Saiyan could cause a lot of damage, a lot of it by accident or when they were sparring. He had lost count of the times he'd had to divert the course of a stray ki blast, or deal with the aftermath a "friendly spar" that had gotten too close to a city. It was enough to give the poor Namek a migraine headache on a fairly regular basis! He'd hate to think of what would happen if even _one_ of the Saiyans on his planet ever turned to the path of evil! _I feel sorry for whoever was Kami of Vegeta-sei. A planet full of violent, evil-prone Saiyans..._ A delicate shudder ran up the spine of the green god. Some things just didn't bear thinking about. 

"Wonders never cease," Frozen murmured. Eyeing the amount of liquid left in Dende's glass, she smiled. With as much as he'd downed, it wouldn't be long before he'd start feeling the effects. "Well, who's up for another round of dice?" 

"Haven't you learned your lesson yet, Frozen?" Dende snickered. "But if you're willing, I'm game." Picking up the dice again, Dende had time for one last vague thought before the game began. _Gee, I hope no one needs me back home..._

~*~ 

Thus it was that Dende was first introduced to the alcoholic beverage known as the pina colada, which would later be blamed as the root of a great deal of trouble in the lives of the Saiyans and their friends on Earth. Trunks and Goten were allowed to keep their tails, and eventually their hair grew back to its former length. They never did learn their lesson, though, playing pranks and getting into trouble left and right. Bulma returned to perfecting her senzu sludge- 

"I thought I told you not to call it that!!" 

Ahem. Bulma returned to perfecting her "senzu serum." 

"Thank you." 

Unfortunately for her, the term that Goku had coined stuck, and it was forever after called senzu sludge, despite Bulma's many protests. Though the children seemed to have pulled through without suffering any adverse side effects, Bulma didn't want to let anyone else use it until she could be certain that it was completely safe. Other than that, they all pretty much lived happily ever after... 

Or did they? 

~*~ 

To find out more about the continuing adventures of Trunks and Goten, read Wish For The Past! A misspoken wish lands Goten in the past, traveling alongside Bardock, the grandfather he never knew. Concerned for his friend's safety, Trunks soon joins him, and together they travel from Vegeta-sei to Earth, trying to find a way back home. 


End file.
